I was shamefully watching an episode of my new favorite show, "Brothers and Sisters" the other night...maybe it was even last night. And Sally Fields had met a new boy she was considering dating. She then brought him on a weekend getaway(Seemed a little premature...) Foolishly and secretly, he went off in the woods and kissed her arch-nemisis Holly. Sally was classy about it of course, but she nonetheless, threw him a gem...a real keeper: "We present ourselves fully in the first moment we meet someone. When I met you, you were sleeping with a 22 year old undergrad. What more did I need to know?" Or words to that effect.....
Sally is so smart. A. because she took work on a good series and I'm glad to see her working again and B. Because she's right. we do present ourselves fully in the first moment of meeting someone. That's why we have instincts about liking someone right away or disliking them immediately.
Improv is all about being yourself more fully in each moment. Not always easy. Sometimes it's easier to be a shell. But even then, that's who you are at that moment and that's what people get.
I was teaching high school non actors improv this week. They were visiting from North Carolina.
Ahhh, the high school years!
They were so worried about looking bad or different or committing fully or being wrong. There is such a fear from the start of adolescence of being FULLY OURSELVES. Unfortunately, it often carries over into adulthood. So I pushed the high school girls past their level of comfort(Because that's what I do!) and saw glimpses of who they were or could be. Improv can do that. It can fully flesh out who you truly are. So when you meet Sally Fields, she can say right away, "I knew you for what you were! I adore you! I could tell in the first moment!"
P.S. Is anyone else sick of Calista? Gya!
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